Chapter 51

Cersei rocked Rickon to sleep. "It suits you, having my children on your arms." Ned said as she placed the babe on his crib.

"Mayhaps we should try for another, a little girl with your smile." He said wistfully.

She was overwhelmed when she saw his hopeful eyes. "I can't Ned. I can't give you more children."

Ned held her tight then, "I am always bringing you pain. I'm so sorry my love. Forget my foolishness. You have given me everything Cersei, everything." Her husband whispered fiercely.

She held the tears at bay. She cried herself to sleep too many nights. Cersei wouldn't cry anymore Eddard and their children were alive and well. She nuzzled his beard and felt the sting in her cheeks. "You need to shave and bathe." She whispered.

"We could go to the pools if you wanted." She said carefully.

"Too many people in our yard. They would harp on us the moment they see us." Ned touched her face with his fingertips. He traced her lips, eyes, and cheeks.

"I'll have the maidens fill the tub for you." Cersei replied. She sent for Maryam at once. Ned and her remained in the nursery looking at Rickon.

"He looks like me I think." Ned touched the baby's dark tresses.

Cersei looked at her youngest and nodded. "He looks very much like you. I would just look at him all night after he was born and I thought you were dead. I would look at him for hours and think that at least he looked like you. I wanted to name him Eddard like you but Tyrion had named him Rickon and it did not feel right to change it." Cersei glanced at her husband.

"I looked like him. Brandon looked like mother but I looked more like my father." He said with a light voice.

"Our Rickon will be very handsome." Cersei kissed him once more.

The maiden came back to tell them the bath was ready for him. "Keep bringing as much water as you can." They went to the adjacent bath chambers. The tub was filled with the water and there were at least four large buckets of water. Cersei helped him undress. Ned sat on the big tub. "I'll bring the blade to shave you and some of the oils and soaps for you."

She retrieved the items and found Ned with his eyes closed and head back. "I missed you." He said when she soaped him.

"I missed you too." She massaged his head and tilted his head to shave him. She spoke to him. "I thought I would go insane from the pain when Tyrion told me you were executed. I wanted Jon and Robb to burn Westeros to the ground and bring me Catelyn Tully's head on a spike." She said passionately. Her husband did not tense he listened.

"My life came back to my body when you wrote back." She shaved his beard until he looked like the Ned she knew ten and nine years ago.

He turned and looked at her. "I came back to you. I brought you our children back my lioness. I can only ask you forgive me once more. King's Landing was never the place for me. My place is here in my lands with you."

She smiled. "I forgive you Ned. I only want you and our family to be well and safe." She caressed his cheek. Her husband kissed her hands. "I do not want to presume but I would like for you to join me."

Cersei kissed this wonderful, thoughtful man. She marveled once more; Eddard chose her for his wife. He made that clear years ago. Cersei thanked the deities for Ned Stark. She undressed in front of him. She sank into the water and faced him. Her husband looked into her green eyes and openly said. "I missed you from the moment I parted ways from you. My biggest fear was not dying but coming home to you without one of our children. I feared dying and not knowing that you and our children were safe." Ned told her seriously.

She kissed him. "I feared not seeing you anymore. I knew the children were safe. I wrote to them but you. Even when you wrote I had to see you with my own eyes."

Ned kissed her more and more. They bathed silently. She let him touch her. He traced her shoulders, hips, her collarbones, her belly and legs. There was no intention from him. Ned just wanted to be close to her. She bathed with him and then when the water was too cold and there was no point on asking Maryam for more water.

They went to their quarters. Cersei hugged him. She kissed him and ran her hands through his wet hair. He responded eagerly; she felt him touch her face. "I need you Ned." She whispered before he could ask her anything. It was all the encouragement he needed. She moaned when his hands trailed over her back and he pushed her hair to the side. He whispered her name and kissed her neck. Cersei felt a pull in her belly she hadn't felt since he left her.

"Ned, I." She moaned when he led her to the bed. She was underneath him. He kissed her slowly, savoring her, relearning her. Ned looked at her with lusty grey eyes. Eddard kissed her neck and chest. He looked up to her and traced the new lines Rickon had made when she was pregnant with him. Cersei pulled him up for another kiss and opened her legs wider to accommodate his body above hers. He ran his fingers over her right thigh. Cersei felt the anticipation building. She gasped when he touched her entrance. He moaned at the feeling of his fingers inside her and she moaned as well.

Ned's eyes darkened to an impossible hue of grey, almost black. "I need to be inside of you Cersei." She nodded and guided his length inside of her. The feel of him inside her had her gasping. She missed him, the closeness of his body, his smell, the taste of his skin and the sensation of pleasure he brought her.

She moaned when he moved. Ned thrust slowly inside of her. He watched her. Cersei tried to keep her eyes open to look at him. He would spend himself inside of her soon. The tell tale signs were there. He grabbed her hips and pulled her to a sitting position. She kissed his lips and nibbled on his lower lip. She established the rhythm then. Ned feasted on her neck and chest. She was ready to explode and she did, whispering his name breathlessly. Her husband pushed her on the bed and mounted her once more. He entered her swiftly and his pace increased. Cersei saw him. He looked determined, so strong above her. She bit his lips when he came inside of her. He was rigid above her; she held him to her.

Ned's and her shallow breathing filled the room. She kissed his neck and caressed his damp hair. "I love you dearest." He kissed her eyes softly. Cersei moved to the side. Ned brought her to his chest. Cersei shivered from the cold. Ned held her tight before standing up and lighting the fireplace. She slipped under the furs and was joined by her husband. He looked at her and then kissed her once more. They fell asleep looking at each other. Ned held her to him and whispered sweet nothings until she couldn't she feel asleep.

Cersei woke up to the feeling of strong arms around her. She sighed deeply. Cersei kissed his hands. She turned to him and found him asleep. She traced his nose and lips. He was a light sleeper. He opened his eyes, "what a wonderful sight." He rasped. She hugged him when he tickled her sides. Cersei laughed.

"Tell me how is our home." He asked while pushing her hair aside, the braids were undone.

Cersei told him about Tyrion's help and the latest news of the men that still were in Moat Cailin. "Benjen insists there are white walkers, grumkins and the like beyond the wall. He's been ranging for the past month. He asked for more men. I gave him as many men as I thought convenient."

"Very well. I must say I never thought I would live the day in which you said Tyrion and I did or my brother thought and I agreed. This is very strange my lioness." He smirked at her. Ned and Tywin shared something. They loved to lecture about the importance of family only her husband believed in family while for Tywin it was all about his mark in the world, his legacy.

She could not frown or glare at him yet. "We have come to an agreement. We happen to like each other now."

Ned smiled, "did you apologize Lioness?"

She kissed him, "Why must you ruin our moments?" She kissed his neck and rolled one of his nipples.

He forgot about Tyrion. Ned laid back as she mounted him. "I have to yet look at all your battle scars Lord Stark." She whispered seductively. He smiled.

Cersei asked about every single scar, even the old ones. "This one, where did you get this one?" She touched a half crescent mark on his arm, near his elbow."

"The Viper." He replied when she kissed the mark. Cersei kissed each mark until her husband was wild with want for her. She kissed him roughly. Ned pinned her down and took her. She gasped and smiled at how easy it was for them to reach completion. They knew each other so well. Eddard knew how and when to touch her. She moaned when he took her legs and placed them over his shoulders. She contracted around him within moments and he was gone as well. She kissed his brow. "Tell me what will happen now?" She wasn't naïve as to think they would be safe in the North.

"Stannis remains in King's Landing. He will guide Gendry. The man has a good head over his shoulders. He will make sure his nephew does well. I am sure you understand all these marriages strengthen the Baratheon claim." Ned replied.

"I gathered as much." Cersei stated, he was resting on her breasts, gently rolling a nipple.

"Stannis has heard rumors of the Targaryen girl in Essos. They speak of dragons and the dothraki." Eddard said wearily.

"Are you worried?" She asked with curiosity.

"We'd all be fools if we didn't but even if the girl had an army. She'd have to cross Essos and the Narrow Sea. We'd be waiting for them with our armies. The dothraki are untrained, plungers and have no loyalties. Our armies would crush them." Ned spoke reasonably.

"How long has Stannis given us until we reach King's Landing for the royal wedding?"

"Six months. The prince will be with us, touring his lands as we will. We shall march to the Eyrie and then the Riverlands before we march to King's Landing." He said honestly.

"How long until we have to march to the Eyrie?" She asked him softly. There was no doubt in her mind that she would travel with him.

"A week maybe two. Our sons shall marry their wives in our Godswoods and then we'll march." Cersei nodded with some understanding.

"I have yet to meet my future daughters." Cersei said with some concealed distrust.

Ned kissed her fingertips. "I do not know much about the Tyrell girl. She could be dangerous but I have yet to seize her. I am sure you will. Cassana is a sweet girl."

"With a snake for a mother." Cersei hissed.

"She is not Catelyn." Ned said with a sigh.

"I care very little about who she is. I care about what she can do to our son." Cersei told him with hard eyes.

Ned kissed her lips. "You may do as you wish but they will marry. Tommen and Robb will have to fend for themselves."

"Very well." Cersei replied and kissed him once more.

"What happened to Jon's wildling?" Cersei asked trying to understand all that happened to her children when they were not by her side.

"She died in battle. Our son mourned her, he still mourns for her." Ned explained.

"He did not mourn his wife but he mourns the wildling." Her husband said carefully. He could not say that Stark loved a wildling but clearly their son did.

"What about Arya and Joanna?" Cersei asked.

"They do not fight as much and I have seen them whispering and plotting. I do not know what they are plotting." Ned said with a yawn.

They napped until Rickon awoke them. Ned picked him up from the crib and brought him to her. "It is time for dinner, I can assure you they are waiting for you my lord." Cersei breastfed Rickon and called Osha to dress her and Rickon. Ned stayed in the room with them.

"You are a wildling." Eddard said while looking her up and down.

"Yes." Osha said without looking at him. She now wore long braids like the peasants from the North, and wore servant clothes.

"Your friend died in battle." Ned said while trying to establish eye contact with her.

"She was not my friend. We were both running away, from Mance and the white walkers." Osha continued with her nonsense of the undead.

"Stay with Rickon, Lord Stark and I will have dinner with our family. Take good care of my boy."

"Yes m'lady." Osha did not look at Ned once.

They walked down to the great hall, "she is afraid of me but trusts you. It is surprising to say the least."

Cersei smiled a little, "You are used to them distrusting me and looking at you as if you are the Father with all his fairness and protection." They were near the doors.

They were all in attendance but for Jon. She sat by the head of the table. Tywin occupied the other head and Tyrion sat by his side while Robb sat by his other side. Tommen sat in front of her, with Cassana by his side. Bran, the Tyrell girl, her daughters and the prince occupied the rest of the seats.

"Where is Jon?" Lady Stark asked.

"He is indisposed." Robb replied while eating his dinner. Cersei studied her two new daughters and found that Cassana could not keep eye contact with her while the Tyrell girl did not look up from her dinner.

Ned and Tywin spoke about lands and armies; Tyrion and Robb commented and contributed. Tommen and Cassana exchanged love eyes. Joanna and Arya discussed something that their mother could not hear well. The prince and Bran spoke of the battles fought.

Soon it was time for the ladies to retire to a smaller room and discuss their affairs. Cersei took advantage of the fact and led the women into the smaller chamber. Sansa and Cassana spoke animatedly about going to Riverrun.

"You will not go to Riverrun little dove. You and Tyrion will stay in the Eyrie with my son and my new daughter." Cersei smiled at Margaery.

"Tell more about you sweetling." Margaery nodded demurely.

"There is not much to tell Lady Stark, I wish nothing but to be a good wife to Robb. I am sure you will, after all we were all bred to be good wives and mothers to our children. Some of us have better breeding than others; some of us are more loyal and come from better families. Is that not so dear sister?"

"Of course Lady Stark." Sansa replied.

"Your family made wrong decisions, the Tullys and Tyrells were fortunate enough that the king was benevolent with them." Cersei did not have time to play the coy highborn lady.

Margaery nodded and opened her big eyes while Cassana did not dare look at her. "I trust you two will be good wives to my children. They are honorable men like their father but I raised them and I can assure you that they know very well how to treat traitors. They are fair like their father but they also have Lannister blood and you know very well what they say about us. We pay our debts and there is no worse debt or offense than treason of any kind." Cersei said with a delicate smile on her face. Cassana was pale and Margaery looked between impressed and confused. She would have to monitor the Tyrell girl better; she could prove to be troublesome.